The Seas Ahead
by I Fancy Hugh Dancy
Summary: "Are you going to continue to stare at me all night, Swan, or are you going to join the others and get some rest?" Hook's ship has safely sailed into Neverland. The quest to find Henry begins. Emma and Hook both brood about their fate. Will they be able to console one another, or will something else stand in their way? Captain Swan. Set after the Season 2 finale. Oneshot.


**+ THE SEAS AHEAD +**

? ? ?

"_**I Won't Let You Go (Darling)"**_

_**By: Hedley**_

_Long steady road  
Oh travel, be kind  
I'm searching for some peace of mind  
The home that you know  
A home left behind  
Oh trouble, don't trouble this time_

_And baby don't look back,  
Odds don't stack  
They just crumble down around you  
Oh, you gotta go away if you wanna come back  
I won't crack I can't make a sound without you_

_And even if it sounds crazy darling I won't let you go  
And even if it don't stop raining darling I won't let you go  
And even if the world's burning darling I won't let you go  
Even if it sounds crazy darling I won't let you go_

_Know your way down your music, your town  
You never are walking alone  
A storm that won't wait, a heart that won't break  
Your mountains ain't made out of stone_

_So baby don't look back odds don't stack  
They just crumble down around you  
Oh you gotta go away if you wanna come back  
I won't crack I can't make a sound without you_

_No I can't, no I never will, never ever would  
No I never could let you go_

? ? ?

**Rating: **T

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Summary: **|| "Are you going to continue to stare at me all night, Swan, or are you going to join the others and get some rest?" || Hook's ship has safely sailed into Neverland. The quest to find Henry begins. Emma and Hook both brood about their fate. Will they be able to console one another, or will something else stand in their way? Captain Swan. Set after the Season 2 finale. Oneshot.

**Disclaimer: **This story is pure fanfiction. I don't own any of the recognizable characters from the show "Once Upon A Time".

**Author's Note: **Hello, lovely readers! So, I was listening to the above song by Hedley and got super emotional (I know, right?), but it was perfect inspiration for a Captain Swan oneshot that's been lurking in my head since seeing the Season 2 finale. My OTP is totally Captain Swan, so here's my take on their relationship starting in the third season. (It faithfully follows their relationship from the previous episodes and just takes off from there.) As usual, I'm just writing this as it comes, so I hope it turns out to be an enjoyable read. I can't wait if the below actually happens in Season 3! Anyway, please review, share, fave, etc. Let me know what you think! Also, I've posted other OUAT fics, so I hope you have the chance to take a look at those as well. Happy reading! xx IFHD

P.S., I couldn't help but just laugh at Hook's face/reaction in the Season 2 finale episode when he said, "Go? Where? I thought we were saving the town!" LOL! So cute. =P

? ? ?

Emma leaned her elbows upon the side railings of the _Jolly Roger_. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The simultaneous scents of salt water and cool, fresh air tickled her nostrils, sending soothing waves of calm through her body. Though not her expected form of consolation, she continued to inhale and exhale as though it was her first time breathing, continuing to relieve herself of the day's events and lessen the worry regarding her son's fate in this new, strange land. Had it not been for the true purpose of their coming to Neverland in the first place, Emma was certain that she would most likely have been enjoying herself at this very moment. However, she knew that she couldn't change the past, and Emma was now resoundingly consigned to her new purpose: to find Henry and bring him home.

She twisted her head slightly to the left and surveyed the captain of the ship. Hook was perched on the quarterdeck, hook on the wheel, hand on a map, and eye peeping through a telescope. It surprised Emma to see how serene he looked, how pleasant his disposition had become as he had begun to sail his ship. Most of what she had seen of him from the past was darkness and trickery to sate his lust for revenge, to see his life's purpose, his one goal, carried out. And yet, who would have known that he still possessed such a boyish side to him - a side that Emma found herself longing to see more of?

"Are you going to continue to stare at me all night, Swan, or are you going to join the others and get some rest?"

Hook placed the telescope on the ledge in front of him, then regarded the peering woman below him for a response. Emma blinked a few times, as though being awoken from a reverie, and quickly shook her head. "No. Can't sleep."

"We're days away from the island, Swan," Hook cocked his head towards the cabins on the far side of the main deck, "so I suggest you save and regain your energy for what's to come."

Emma inched her way closer to him. She took one ginger step after another and climbed the steps leading to the top of the quarterdeck. She crossed her arms then, attempting to gather some warmth as a chilled breeze passed through. "And you expect to sail this ship on your own, without sleep?"

"Well," Hook gave the wheel a full turn starboard, then let out an exhale. "If you agree to be my first mate, perhaps I could teach you to sail for me."

The sultry tone of voice that Hook used while saying "mate" wasn't lost on her. Emma rolled her eyes mockingly and retorted with, "I'll pass."

"...but think of all the booty we could plunder!"

The mixture of utter excitement and seriousness in Hook's voice stirred something within Emma. Something that she thought wouldn't feel for a while. His impish grin tickled a snort from her; a short laugh then escaped her lips when his expression wouldn't abate. She gave her head curt shake. "You know, Hook, 'booty' means something else in my land."

He threw her a laconic brow and encircled his hand in front of her. "Well, whatever else it may mean, I have a feeling I'd like to have it as well."

Emma threw _him_ a laconic brow in return and nodded assuredly. "I'm pretty sure you would."

The young woman continued to walk towards and eventually stand beside the pirate. She eyed the expanse of the black seas before them, seeing that their way forward was only guided by trickles of moonlight. She wondered at the adventure of it all, the journeys that Hook and his crew had made in the past through what seemed like nothingness - through such darkness. Curiosity burned within her once more as she thought about Hook's life, to what exactly brought him to this point in time - to her land, then back to Neverland. What she remembered then was Neal's revelation that he knew Hook. When her eyes landed upon the pirate once more, she realized that his smouldering, darkened orbs had been locked upon her. The expression on his angular countenance suggested to her that he was also deep in thought - pertaining to what, she couldn't fathom. His expression didn't make her feel _too_ uncomfortable, but she felt the need to end the silence between them. She cleared her throat and began, "What you did back there...with the bean..."

"Aye?"

"It was admirable, Hook."

"Like I said," he gave his shoulders a nonchalant shrug, "sometimes I just need help reminding that I _can_ care about others."

Hook's stare upon Emma's form never relented. By this point, his gaze was so piercing that Emma had to break it. Her eyes fell to her feet and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "After we find Henry, we need to search for Neal. He _can't_ be dead. I refuse to believe it. If Gold can track Henry, then..."

A thunderstorm above them began to rumble. Emma continued to speak and spew her suppositions, but the pirate couldn't hear her any longer. Hook squared his jaw then. Suddenly, he hit a lever on the side of the wheel and, without another word, stalked from Emma's side. Disregarding her look, he quickly stepped down the stairs two at a time to the main deck and headed straight for his cabin.

"Hey! What the hell?" Emma ran to the railing in distress as her eyes followed his fading form. "Who's gonna maneuver the ship?"

"No one." Hook stopped briefly and looked back towards her. "The wheel is set in place. Our course remains steady, straight on 'till morning."

Emma still surveyed him unsurely, though eventually gave him a nod in acquiesce. Hook gave her a final glance before disappearing into his cabins.

The young woman gripped the wheel for support, no longer finding comfort in the sounds and smell of the sea around her. She was quick to realize that his sudden, unexpected reaction deeply bothered her. So, without another thought, she chased after him, barging into his cabin without a knock.

Hook had removed his jacket and was now only clad in his leather pants, boots, and a long-sleeved, white tunic. He regarded Emma's presence briefly, not at all surprised at and making no further comments about her sudden intrusion, and merely stalked to his cupboards. Without a word, he pulled one of the cracked, wooden drawers open and retrieved an aged bottle of rum. He swiftly turned and banged the bottle on a nearby desk, making Emma jump at the harsh sound. He then rummaged around the compartment once more to find a glass.

Emma's brows furrowed. Her pulse began to race at the slight aggression Hook was showing. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"You wouldn't understand," was all the pirate replied with. He easily opened the bottle with his hook and began pouring the thick liquid into the cup.

Undeterred by his evasiveness, Emma squared her jaw and strode forward to face him entirely. "You and I both know that out of everyone here, I understand you the most. You and I, we understand each other, remember?"

"That's not what I meant." The pirate remained standing and took a long gulp of the sweet liquid. He kept his back to her, rested his tense hand upon the window frame, and stared out at the choppy seas behind them. "It's complicated, Swan."

Frustration was quickly building inside of Emma, but she somehow managed to temper it enough to slow her movements as she approached the pirate. With a gentle tug, she pulled the cup away from Hook's hand, placed it on the table beside them, and leaned in to face him. "Don't talk to me about complicated, Hook." Her stare remained stern, and he returned the look accordingly. She kept her ground. "How do you know Neal?"

Without anymore reservations, Hook's story burst forth like a geyser. In great detail, he told Emma about how he had found Neal by accident as a boy, eventually took him in as one of his own crew, found out about his origins, and then later gave him up. "I cared about the boy, Swan," the pirate's eyes fixated upon the ground between them, "taught him what I knew. Showed him the ways of being a pirate. When I found out who he really was, I did want us to be a family - to right the wrongs of the past, to...to honour his mother..." Hook's voice wavered then, "But he wouldn't have it, Swan. He refused." He violently jutted his hook towards the cabins across from his. "Baelfire said that I was no different from that man in there and wanted to leave. After I gave him up, I never saw him again."

By this point, Emma's eyes were wide with shock, with every inch filling with tears. Her entire body remained tense and unmoving, fists clenched at her sides. Her very first instinct was to yell that it was all a lie, that Neal had _never_ had that relationship with Hook. But even if she couldn't entirely accept it now, it made sense to her. How was Neal still so young if he hadn't been affected by the curse? He had to have ended up in another land, a land where growing up wasn't possible... But how were she to know what really happened between Neal and Hook without Neal to support or negate the pirate's statements?

Emma placed her hands up, as though in surrender. "I can't take this right now," she said breathlessly, shaking her head. She swiftly turned her back to the pirate and retreated towards the door. "I just...I just want to find Henry and get the hell out of here."

"Do you still love him?"

The question effectively stopped Emma in her tracks, just before she passed the door's threshold. It was as though her breath had been stolen from her lungs. With heavy breaths, she turned her head to face the pirate once more and released the anger that coiled within her, "How _dare_ you even..."

"It's a simple 'aye' or 'nay'."

His persisting query made Emma's face scrunch in annoyance. "Hook, why do you even - "

In a matter of seconds, the pirate had managed to enclose the space between them with his wide strides. Emma jerked back defensively at his coming form; however, before she could further react, Hook had managed to cup her face in his hand and wrap his other arm around her waist. Without waiting for permission or another reaction, the pirate buried his lips in hers, seeking out her warmth, her comfort, her taste in a greedy kiss.

Emma made a noise of simultaneous surprise and protest, but made no move to pull away. Her heart felt as though it had stopped, her entire body unable to function in his arms. The sweet taste of ale in his mouth, the warmth of his breath, and the strength of his body upon and around her wholly invaded her senses. She could feel the pirate continuing his ministrations, pressing his entire form closer to hers and wrapping his arm even more tightly around her body. After a few moments, Emma relaxed and returned the act in kind; Hook's kiss eventually transformed from ardent desire to slow and savouring.

The pirate's thumb stroked the side of Emma's face, and he could feel her warm tears falling mercilessly in rivulets. With the backs of his long fingers, he wiped them from her cheek; he continued to show her all the feelings that she ignited within him, the feelings that he had been holding back from her - and from himself - ever since they had met.

The feelings that confused the seven hells out of him.

"Emma," he whispered breathlessly in between his kisses.

At the sound of her name coming from his lips, Emma abruptly froze and rested her forehead upon his. She let out a shaky sigh, then placed her open palms upon his taut chest.

She pulled way.

As though in a panic, Emma readjusted her clothes and pushed her tousled hair from her tear-stricken face.

Desperation and questioning lined his tone as the pirate repeated: "Emma?"

"Yes," Emma's voice cracked as she replied. She swallowed hard, then managed a weak nod. "Yes, I still love him."

Emma ripped herself from Hook's arms. She saw the pirate eyeing her in bewilderment, his misty orbs following her every move as she retreated from him, one step at a time. She turned on her heels and walked out into the rain, leaving the Hook's door open behind her. Disregarding that her entire form was instantly soaked, she traversed the main deck and headed directly towards the adjacent cabins. She refused to turn back.

"He may have been your first love, Emma," Hook called out from behind her, claiming her attention once more, "but I plan to be your last. However long it takes."

? ? ?

**A/N:** The Vampire Diaries and Game of Thrones references FTW! haha Hope you all liked that. Let me know what you thought! xx IFHD


End file.
